The story of how a girl discovers what she wants, the process of how she gets it, and the lessons she learns along the way.

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Alexi Casilla for MVP....say whaaaaaat?!

That's right. I didn't make a typing error...although I truly wish that were the case. As I sit in front of the television watching the Twins try to capture a 4 GAME SWEEP of the Royals, Casilla is 2-2. There is something wrong with this world.

After the Twins traded J.J. Hardy in order to make Casilla the every-day shortstop, I wanted Ron Gardenhire's head on a platter. Not only had I purchased a J.J. Hardy t-shirt, but I did my best to show every bit of disdain possible for Alexi. An inconsistent hitter and fielder, I hardly find him an appropriate fit in the major leagues. But alas, here I sit reading headlines such as "Casilla powers Twins to third straight win." A couple things are ironic about this headline. Number 1: The fact that the Twins have won three straight games. Number 2: The fact that the Twins winning three games in a row is even news (last season, it was a common occurrence). Number 3: The fact that "Casilla" and "power" are used in the same sentence.

I'm still not a Casilla fan. I think he's a risky player and still isn't very reliable. This streak of solid hitting isn't fooling me. The Twins are still the worst team in the MLB, having just won their 20th game of the season. A comparison between today's lineup and the lineup a year ago reveals the following:

But with the Twins creeping up on their 4th consecutive win of the season (Twins are up 4-0 in the bottom of the 6th...*knocking on wood now*), I wouldn't be a true Minnesota sports fan if I wasn't clinging to some far-fetched dream of a miraculous comeback. It appears as if Cleveland is falling apart (truly only a matter of time), and a couple more series victories against division rivals might, just MIGHT, put the Twins back in this thing. Or at least make it less embarrassing.

So as I cling to my Homer Hanky and daydream about Christian Ponder bringing the Vikings to the Super Bowl, here's to the ups and downs of being a sports fan. But a fair-weather fan I am not and neither are a majority of Minnesota Twins fans. We still find ways to pack Target Field while other teams are plagued by poor attendance even when they're performing well. The bright side to being in last place? It can only go up from here, because I'm not sure how any season could be worse than this one.